Safety device for jewelry.



H. MILLER. SAFETY DEVICE FOR JEWELRY. APPLICATION FILED DEG.15, 1913.

1,1 00,389. Patented June 16, 1914.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR f 622/231 Z Z let, WW 9/ 6 BY ATTORNEYS jewelry, such as bracelets, necklaces, etc, vwhich are constructed Of'fitXiblG material; said safety device being adapted to he used UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MILLER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. C. EDGE JEWELRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR JEWELRY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented J une 1.6, 1914.

Application filed December 15 1913. Serial to; 806,660. a

tion of the invention, such as will enable,

others skilled in the art to which it zip-part tains tomake anduse the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked there'- on, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates, generally, to im rov'ement's in safety devices forarticles 0 jewelry, an'd'the like,--and the inventiOn has reference,more particularly, to .a'

safety device adapted to be associated -\Vlillthe meeting'ends or portions of articlesof in addition to the primary clasp or fastening means by which the meeting ends of the article of jewelry are'joined'. v

The invention has for 1ts principal object {to provide a siniple,cheapand easilymanipulated safety device for grasping the meeting cndsfor portions of an article of jewelry, and retaining the same, in their closed or joined relation apminst disunion in, case the ordinary or primary 'claspins device should become unfastened, and when used in association with certain types of primary clas such as buckles and the like preventing tie free end of the article jewelry from becoming disengaged .irom' said buckle, or the'like.

H Other obfects of the present invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated,

will be clearly understood from hil0'l ()ll0\V',

lug detailed description of the same.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel construction of safety dcvico 'l oijewelry, and the like, hereinafter set f( ltll;.ll1ll, the invention consists, l'urthcrlriorc, in the novel arrangements, and

combinations oi" the various devices and D free-end portion 5' of the bodyort1on 1 1ni. tication, and then finally embodied in the olauscs of the claimwliicli are a pended to therewith in the ordinary manner.

stice n and which. f m an essential part of this specification:

, The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a face view of an article of jewelry in 'the form of a bracelet which is equipped with the novel construction of safetydevice made according to and embodying theprinciples of the present invention; Fig, ,2, is a detail longitudinal section ofuthe same, ,drawn on an enlarged scale, and taken on line 22 in said Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow :0 Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section, also rawn on an enlarged scale,- and taken on line'3-3 in said Fig. 1; Fig.4 is a large side elevation of said, novel safety device removed from the article of jewelry; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same-,- taken on line 5-5 in ,said Fig. 4,"looking downward. v

,Similar characters of reference are em I limit the use of my present invent-ion to as.

of which is formed or eonstructed as above ,sociation with articles of jewelry, the body described,although I do wish to point out I that my present invention is particularly serviceable when used with 'ewelr structed of any flexible material. to one end of said body-portion 1,, by solder con cred or other suitable fastening means is the open frame-member 3' of a buckle-device, tongue-i of which is pivotally associa 'd Said buckle-device provides the. primary clasp meansfor joining and'securing the meeting ends of the body-portion 1 when the same is caused to encircle and thus be worn upon the arm of its possessor. And to this end the sci-led through the openin o the framemcinber 3 of said buckle-device, and then the tongue l is inserted through a selected inter- 2 of said body-portion 1, whlch as 110 above indicated serves as a receiving opening therefor. It has been found that When'the meeting ends of the body-portion lare thus clasped together by such a buckle-device,

;, there is danger of the free end-portion of the same becoming disengaged from the tongue 4, entailing the slipping of said free end-portion 5 through the frame-member 3, whereby the meeting ends are separated, and the article of jewelry therefore is in danger of dropping-off the wearers arm, and becoming ost'. To prevent thisoccurrence, the

novel safety device, comprising'my present Said invention, serves most admirably.

'- novel safety device comprises an open yokeframe consisting of a bottom-bar 6, a'topbar 7, and interconnecting vertical or side bars 8. Secured within the opening of said yoke-frame, so as to exten transversely therethrough'is a bridge-pi e 9, the same being of any convenient form, and secured in lace in any convenient manner. Said bridge-piece 9 divides the .0 ning of said yohe-frame into twoparts, t ereby provid- Inga lower receiving opening 10, and an upper receiving opening 11. Secured to the under side of said bridge-piece 9, by means of solder, or by any other convenient means, is a spring-arm 12, the body of'which is i bowed downwardl as at 13, so as to project the arm into suitv lower receiving-opening 10. Preferably said spring-arm is secured by one ond'only, its oppositeend being free, thereby rendering said spring arm more resilient or yielding, the inherent tension of the same, when the spring-arm is under compression, being sufiicient, however, to enable the some to properly perform its function. It is also found prefcral'ile to provide said I bridge-piece 9 with downwardly extending side lips or flanges 14, which; embracin the side-edges of said spring-arm 12, guard the same against undue lateral movement, which might lend to disconnect the same from said I bridge-piece, said side-lips or flanges 14 besecured to said bridge-mace 9, by passing one end of the sarnc'through an opening provided in said bridge-piece and beneath a struck up or raised portion 16 of said bridge- )irce. s-aid end then bein r soldered or other. i ia wise secured to the under side of said bridgepiccc. As th s secured said gripping-member 15 extends in up upwardly inclined positiontt;unsvcrscly thrmigh said upper rccciving-opcuing 11. ()no of said verti al or side bars- 8 of said yoke-member is provided with a vertically disposed opening or slot 17, through which the narrow neck 18 formed at the free-end of said grippingmember 15 extends. The extreme end of said grippinganember, at the outer extremity of said" neck 18, is formed with an enlarged portion or head 19, which serves as a finger-piece for manipulating said gripping-member. The operative association of said safety device constructed as above described with the article of jewelr may be accomplished as follows :-The b0 y-portion 1 of the article of jewelry is passed through the lower receiving opening of the yoke-member, until the latter is positioned near the buckledevice. When so positioned the spring-arm 12' bears upon said body-portion 1, and forces the same in frictionally held engagement with said bottom-bar 6 of said yoke-member, thereby retaining the latter in pro er position. The free end-portion 5 of t e body-portion 1 is now inserted through and engaged with the buckle-device in the manner already above described. When the meeting ends of said body-poo tion 1 are thus clasped together, the gripping-member of the safety device is depressed, by pressing downwardly upon the finger-piece 119, this operation removes the said gripping-device 15 from obstructing position \vithin said upper receiving-opening 11, so that said free end-portion 5 of the bodyortion 1 may be inserted therethrong 1. When said free end-portion 5 is thus positioned to lie within said receiving-opening 11, the depressing force upon said gripping-member 15 is removed, andthe' spring tension thereof causes the same to move upwardly against-said end-portion 5 holding the same in frictional engagement with said top-bar 7 of said yokeiramc, and consequently retaining the same against accidental removal from its connected relation with said buckle-device. When itis desired to remove said end-portion 5 from its gripped relation with said yoke-frame, the said gripping-member 15 is again depressed, thereby releusingsnid end-portion from frictional engagement with said top-barf, so that the same may be pulled through and out of said upper rcceiving-opening 11.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the several arrangements and'combinations of the parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of my present. invention. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the parts as herein described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, nor do. I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts.

through said upper receiving-opening, said yoke-frame having avertical slot in. one of its side-portions through which the'free end of said gripping-member extends, and a finger-piece at the exterior free-end of said gripping-member for manipulating the' same. 7

2. In a device of the kind described an open yoke-frame, a bridge-piece mounted transversely in said yoke-frame to divide the same into an upper and lower receivingopening, a vertically yieldable spring-arm secured to the under side of said bridgepiece so as to project into said lower receiving-opening, downwardly extending longitudinal marginal flanges connected with said bridge-piece adapted to embrace said spring-arm and guard the same against lateral movement, and manipulatabie gripping means mounted on said bridge-piece like bridge-piece, and extending transversely receiving opening. 3. In a device of the kinddescribed, an open yoke-frame, a bridge-piece mounted transversely in said: yoke-frame to divide the same-into an upper and lower receivingopening, a vertically yiel'dahle spring-arm secured to the under side of said bridgepiece so as to project into said lower receivand extending laterally through said upper ing-opening, downwardly extending longitudinal. marginal flanges connected with said bridge-piece adapted to embrace said spring-arm and guard the same a ainst lateral movement, and a depressibi springgripping-member secured to said through said upper receiving opening, said yokeeframe having a vertical slot in one of its side-portions through which the free end of said gripping-member extends, and a finger piece at the exterior free-end of said gripping-member for manipulating the same.

In testimony; that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of December, 1913.

V v HENRY MILLER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES NIEBLING, GEORGE D. RICHARDS. 

